Islamist party leader said to be supporting CHP chair’s potential presidential candidacy

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Journalist İsmail Saymaz has alleged that Islamist Felicity Party (Saadet Partisi) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu showed his support for the potential presidential candidacy of Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu during his meeting with the other opposition party chairs Ahmet Davutoğlu and Ali Babacan.

Future Party leader Davutoğlu and DEVA leader Babacan “did not object to it,” wrote Saymaz in a social media post on Feb. 2.

Karamollaoğlu on Feb. 1 paid to a visit to Davutoğlu and Babacan at their parties’ headquarters. During these meetings, Karamollaoğlu “for the first time spoke about Kılıçdaroğlu’s (potential presidential) candidacy and said that he took it kindly,” according to journalist Saymaz.

“And the two leaders (Davutoğlu and Babacan) did not object to it. During his visit to Kılıçdaroğlu today, Karamollaoğlu said, ‘In the meeting, your name was mentioned, and I said that ‘I support it,’” Saymaz tweeted.  

Ahead of the Feb. 13 summit of the Nation Alliance, Karamollaoğlu is paying a visit to the six opposition leaders. On Feb. 2, his stop was the CHP headquarters where he met with Kılıçdaroğlu.

“As far as I have found out, Kılıçdaroğlu listened to Karamollaoğlu’s remarks and did not make a comment. Karamollaoğlu is currently talking with the Democrat Party leader. (Gültekin) Uysal is known to be supporting Kılıçdaroğlu,” Saymaz wrote.

On the other hand, Felicity Party Press Adviser Hacımurat Uzgur refuted the allegation, saying: “News reports in the media which are based on assumptions do not give information with regards to the content of these meetings.”

The opposition Nation Alliance has not officially revealed its presidential candidate, Kılıçdaroğlu has expressed his desire to take the role in many occasions. The opposition bloc is expected to reveal the name after the summit on Feb. 13.